Altara secures $7M to bridge the data gap that’s slowing down physical sciences
For instance, Greylock-backed Resolve, which is valued at $1.5 billion, uses AI to diagnose software failures. Altara’s vision is to act as the hardware equivalent, determining exactly what went wrong when a battery or a semiconductor fails to perform.
Altara isn’t the only startup using AI to accelerate development in the physical sciences. Startups like Periodic Labs and Radical AI are also tackling scientific research from the ground up.
Altara is taking a different, much less capital-intensive approach though. Rather than trying to replace decades-old research and manufacturing firms, Altara provides an intelligence layer that plugs into their existing data.
In fact, Greylock’s Riley views AI for physical science as the “next big frontier” and predicts an impending explosion of development in the sector.
What sets Alexa+ apart is its strong focus on family and home management. Beyond answering questions or generating content, Alexa+ helps users control smart home devices, manage calendars and to do lists, plan trips, make dinner reservations, shop for groceries, save recipes, and organize family activities like movie nights. Amazon has also expanded Alexa+ by integrating services such as Angi, Expedia, Square, and Yelp, alongside existing partners like Uber, OpenTable, and Ticketmaster.
The new Alexa.com website includes a sidebar for quick access to frequently used features such as shopping lists, thermostat controls, and calendar reminders. Amazon is also encouraging users to share documents, emails, and calendar access with Alexa+, allowing the assistant to act as a central hub for family schedules, school holidays, medical appointments, and other important household information. While Amazon lacks its own productivity suite like Google, it is relying on file uploads and forwarded data to power this feature.
According to Amazon, Alexa+ usage is growing rapidly. Users are having more conversations, shopping more frequently, and relying more on Alexa+ for recipes and smart home control. Although some users have reported errors and misfires, Amazon says very few people opt out after trying the service. With Alexa.com now rolling out to Early Access users, Amazon is positioning Alexa+ as a powerful, everyday AI assistant designed to manage both digital tasks and real life at home.